Ares Orlanzzini HVAC Training Video | Jan 2026 Workshop

Hello, my name is Ares Orlanzzini, and I’m here with HVAC Technical Academy. Today, I’m going to teach you about the heat strip.

A heat strip has two main applications depending on the system. If it’s in a heat pump, it acts as secondary or auxiliary heat. If it’s in a straight cool system, it serves as the primary heat source. For this lesson, I’m going to focus on how it works in a heat pump so you can get a better understanding.

As you can see here, this is where the heat strip is located inside the unit. If you look at it installed, you get a better view. The heat strip works similarly to a toaster. The coils heat up and glow orange when energized. That’s how it produces heat.

To test the heat strip, you can check for continuity to see if power is passing through it. You would test from this terminal to this one. If you have continuity, that shows power is passing through the circuit.

If the heat strip gets too hot, the snap disc located here will open the circuit and shut it off. When that happens, power will no longer pass through the coils. This allows the coils to cool down before operating again.

If the heat strip hasn’t been used in a while, you might notice a slight smell when it first turns on. That’s normal. It’s usually just dust burning off the coils. The odor should go away after a few minutes. It does not mean the heat strip is broken.

Some common ways a heat strip can fail include normal wear and tear over time. It can also fail if there is restricted airflow. Poor airflow can cause it to overheat repeatedly, which can damage the coils.

To remove the heat strip, you would pull it out from this section here. If it needs to be replaced, you would install a new heat strip assembly. Once you receive the new part, slide it back into place, secure it with screws, and reconnect all the wiring exactly as it was on the original heat strip.

After that, you’re good to go.

And that’s how you service and replace a heat strip.